I woke again, and this time it didn't feel like a knife was trying to pry my brain from my skull. I was even able to open my eyes. It must have been night because the only light came from a low fire in the hearth in the corner. Was it really so cool yet as to need the hearth? Surely it hadn't been that long.

I attempted to move, but a sharp pain in my shoulder drew a hiss through my teeth and I froze.

"Sly?" A familiar voice let out my name so softly, so carefully that I almost didn't hear it over the low crackle from the hearth. Being unable to get up, I didn't even try to turn my head to see for fear of the pain that struck through half my body from my shoulder when I moved. There was movement at the foot of the bed, a chair scraping a stone floor near the fire. The door to the room opened briefly and there was short, hushed conversation before it closed. Rorik's reddish brown hair came into view.

"You've never called me that before," I croaked. My throat must not have been used for a while.

"You've never scared me like this before," he said, leaning over to move a lock of hair from my face. "You were out for six days."

"Six," I squeaked. He leaned back and took a seat on the edge of the bed.

"Yes, six days. Try not to move much, you have a lot of injuries."

"I noticed," I replied. Looking around the dark room I added, "it's night. I would think a busy prince should be in bed. That, or slinking through secret library doors."

"I've had plenty of chance to sleep these past few days, what I'm more interested in now is how you're doing. The castle is on its toes waiting for the hero to wake up. Besides, the sun only just went down a little bit ago." He smirked. "You have a guard at your door day and night, and someone tending your bedside all day. I couldn't sleep, so I came to see how you were doing."

"The hero?" I asked. "Wait, a guard? Why?"

Everything was fuzzy, and the pain was hard to think through. It was as if something was on the very tip of my memory, but I couldn't drag it forward.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Rorik asked.

I closed my eyes and sighed through my nose. "We . . . we fought over me going out. As much of an argument as we've ever had, really. Then in the morning I was watching the sunrise with Bricker. Then--" I gasped. "Grethan! What happened to him?"

"Dead. The official story is that he fell. The unofficial story is that he fell on your friends' blade. Apparently, your people arrived on the scene just in time to watch you struggle and fall off the gods damned roof. Pettypiec confirmed it for me himself. You landed in a grain cart behind a stable, but you broke your collarbone on the side of it." I frowned, that explained the pain near my shoulder. "Grethan landed on some barrels, which may have killed him but curiously there was a stab wound in his stomach."

"Only one?" I asked.

Rorik snorted. "Well, no. Not just one."

"I see." I had no idea why that was important to ask, but it was as good as anything as my head swam to catch up. "What of Lord Girault?"

Rorik frowned. "Still missing."

"I see." I scowled. Then, another flash from that day popped to mind. "Oh, the bolt! Just as I got to him Grethan fired his crossbow, did the bolt hit His Majesty?"

"No, though it did kill a magnificent horse. You saved my father, Sly. I am forever in your debt." Rorik, proud and brilliant Rorik, bowed his head. "We could never make this up to you."

Panic, bile rose in my chest. "No. No no please don't do that, you're a prince!" I struggled to sit up, and maybe he was distracted or maybe he took pity on me because he stopped what he was doing to help prop me more comfortably on a pillow. At the creak of the door, we both turned to it as my jaw fell open.

King Joasten with his Queen lovingly draped on his arm walked into the room in fine gold robes. He had the Dalvnae auburn hair like the rest of them and kept a short, trim beard. The queen had more life in her than I'd ever seen before, now that her husband was home.

"Mother, father." Rorik stood to greet them, kissing his mother on the cheek as the king and queen of Unays entered the humble room. Then, all eyes fell to the bed where I lay.

"Your Majesties," I managed to whisper as I bowed my head awkwardly.

"Salysta, is it?" the king asked. His deep voice was soft but commanding. His face was unreadable but the Queen was smiling at me with a warmth that reminded me of Panther or Fay. Something maternal, soft.

"Salysta Aylward, father," Rorik replied in my stead.

"Salysta, this kingdom owes you a debt of gratitude. One which we may never be able to repay. I owe you a debt of gratitude."

My mouth went dry and I'm sure my eyes were wide in shock. In no way was I prepared to receive such words from such people. Surely he must know what I am, what deeds I've done under his city. The coins I've plucked and the bellies I fed through nimble fingers. But, maybe not. My eyes darted to Rorik for a heartbeat before going back to the king. Perhaps, the third prince hadn't revealed everything.

" I know now what has happened in my city in my absence. If it weren't for your actions I would not be here now to correct the wrongs that have occurred." The king and his wife bowed their heads, which was too much for me to handle. I didn't breathe again until they lifted their heads once more.

"That is why we want to give you a reward, small for what you have done, but Rorik tells you you would take no more than this." The queen's voice sang softly in the room.

"Salysta Aylward, I name you a Lady of this land and your descendants a place in our nobility. In addition, I grant you your own familial rooms in our castle, just as all nobility have a birthright to." The king took a knee by the bed as he spoke and the queen sank into a deep curtsy.

My throat tightened, my mouth went dry.

"Salysta, please accept this," Rorik whispered. "You more than deserve it."

Accept this? I had to say words now? "I . . ." I began and was instantly choked up. The cat mark on my neck warmed up, tickling the skin on the back of my neck. Encouragement from Shadow, I could only assume. "Thank you, Majesties, I don't know what to say."

"Don't thank me, Lady Aylward. Simply grace my court with your cherished presence. It has been more than a generation since we have added to the book of nobles, it's about time new life was breathed into this stuffy palace."

I balked at his words, but the king only smiled at his queen who nodded her agreement. Not that I disagreed with his statement, but that the king himself would say it threw me off.

"Thank you, Sire." I bowed my head, partly out of respect partly to hide the tears.

"We will leave you to rest," he added, rising. "We hope to see you at my return banquet if you have healed by then. Good night, Lady Salysta."

The elegant pair walked out of the room and a guard shut the door. I wiped at my face and looked around the room as much as my injuries allowed. The rooms were almost as big as the main room of the Snoring Dragon. At first I had thought the room humble but upon second inspection, it wasn't that the room wasn't grand but that it was under-furnished.

"Where are we anyway?" I asked.

Rorik grinned. "Your rooms, Lady Aylward."

I nearly choked. This space was too much. I had my own bathing chamber and a large window with a view of the lake. The fireplace in the corner appeared carved, and in the dim lighting I could make out a table and chairs on the far wall.

"Sir, I don't know what to say," I admitted. "I don't . . . know what to do with myself."

"Call me Rorik right now, or I will forever call you Lady Aylward," he teased.

"No! No need for that. Please just call me Sly." My face heated up. "Rorik."

"Good. I promised to alert Arden when you woke up. He will in turn send for your friends." Rorik smiled. "Keep my involvement a secret a little longer, I want to talk to you about something more serious, but not until you've recovered."

"Yes, sir."

The prince paused, raising one damning eyebrow at me until I realized what he wanted.

"Pfft. Yes, Rorik."

A slow smile spread across his face. "Good. Welcome back, Sly. It's good to have you with us."

And as he slipped out the door, closing it behind him, I had to agree that this was much better than the ending I almost had at the bottom of the alleyway.

I pressed my mouth tight before I laughed and hurt my bones more than they already had when I realized.

Born a rogue, and now I was one of the coins.